Soroka wins arbitration case over Braves

Right-hander Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) won his arbitration case over the Atlanta Braves on Friday. The Calgary PBF Redbirds and Junior National Team alum will be paid $2.8 million in 2021. Photo: Amanda Fewer

February 15, 2021

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Right-hander Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) won his arbitration case over the Atlanta Braves on Friday, according to MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand.

The Calgary PBF Redbirds and Junior National Team alum will be paid $2.8 million in 2021.

The Braves were offering $2.1 million, a number that left the sides $700,000 apart heading into the hearing.

Soroka qualified as a “Super 2” player this off-season. Every MLB player is eligible for arbitration after they accumulate three full seasons of service time, but the Collective Bargaining Agreement also dictates that the top 22 percent of players who have amassed between two and three seasons of time qualify for “Super Two” status and they become eligible for arbitration heading into their third season.

Soroka, who made his MLB debut on May 1, 2018, made $583,500 in 2020, so he will receive a significant raise, despite only making three starts for the Braves in 2020. The 23-year-old righty tore his right Achilles tendon on August 3 and underwent surgery four days later. Experts say it generally takes nine-to-12 months to recover from this type of injury.

Soroka recently told Sportsnet’s Good Show that his rehab is “going really, really well” and that barring any setbacks, he expects to be on the Braves’ roster on Opening Day.

In his rookie campaign in 2019, Soroka went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 29 starts and won the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Tip O’Neill Award and finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.